Lasting-machine



F. w. MERRICK.

LAS'HNG MACHINE.

APPLlCATlON FILED APR. 21. 19l6- 1,323,714. Patnted Dec. 2,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- F. w. MERRICK.

LASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 191e.

1,323,714. Patented Dec. 2,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

V I m n Witnesses: I fnve'fizfor 544% @M a QM F}: Qwsam hurrah srarns ra'rnnr curios.

FRANK W. MERRICK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION LOCK STITCH COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

LASTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Iletters Patent.

Application filed April 21, 1916. Serial No. 92,577.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, FRANK WV. MERRIGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Sufliollr, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lasting-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention has relation to lasting machines, and in particular to lasting machines of the type in which the upper of a shoe is drawn properly into place upon andjaround a last to which the same has been applied, byor through relative movement of the last with upper thereon and co-acting lasting devices, as for instance by or through entry of the last and upper within a nest orcircle of lasting devices. s 1

The invention comprises novel and improved means adapted to be employed for the actuation of the usual presser or holddown of a lasting machine, but designed more especially for actuating a combined depressor and hold-down for causing the relative approach. and entry aforesaidandtherethrough bringing about the lasting opera-.

tions by which the upper is drawn or wiped and stretched so as to conform to theshape of the last and fit tightly and smoothly thereto. More particularly, the invention H consists in fluid-pressure means for occasioning at the will of the operator, and under the continuous control of the latter, therelative approach, entry, and resulting lasting operations aforesaid.

One general object of the invention is to 7 provide means for the said purposes capable represented, one thereof comprising a dou- Y of acting with a wide range of energy, and

adapted to apply the operating force with intensity graduated at the will of the operator.

'The drawings represent illustrative embodiments of the invention in connection with lasting mechanism on the order of that shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,245,117, granted October 30, 1917,

upon 'my application for U. S. Letters Patent filed. April 28', 1913, Serial No. 764,005. Two of the said embodiments are ble-acting-cylinder arrangement and the other thereof a single-acting-cylinder arrangement. y

In the drawings,- 7 V Figure 1 shows in elevatlon certain portions of the lasting machine of my patent Patented Dec. 2, 19 19.

aforesaid with the double-acting-cylinder' arrangement applied thereto.

Fig. 1 is a view showing the controlling treadle'.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the single-acting-cylinder arrangement ap-' mac ine. It is characterized by containing means forcausing the coming together or relative approach of the lasting devices and a last having an upper of a shoe applied thereto, and entry of said last and upper within said devices, and by containing also lasting devices that are actuated to draw the upperinto place around the last by the saidcoming together or relative approach and resulting entry. V

Herein, lastingdevices, on the order of those of the said patent are shown, they being collectively marked A. As the nature of the lasting devices has been indicated suificiently, and is clearly disclosed infthe patent aforesaid, specific description of the same is unnecessary. s s

In the machine shown and described in the said patent the means for causing the relative approach and entry comprises, es-

sentially, a depressor and hold-down corremechanism as shown in the said patent are shown herein as utilized in the illustrative embodnnents of the present invention. Thus,

.in the drawings, the said depressor and holddown is supported by being connected with the lower end of an. upright plunger-rod 10 1, and the movement aforesaid is provided for by mounting the plunger-rod in fixed guides 105, 106,in connectionwith' the upper portion of the machine framework. The upper portion of the said plunger-rod, in addition to working in the fixed guide 106 enters also an upward extension 10'? of said guide.

This portion of the plunger-rod is of reduced diameter, as shown, in order to provide at the upper end of the portion that works in guide 105 a shoulder 10 11 against which is placed a collar 108 that is fixed upon the said reduced upper portionof the plunger-rod. The actuating devices for the plunger-rod and the depressor and holddown' are' engaged with this collar. The

said actuating devices include a duplicated guide 106 for the plunger-rod. The duplication of the toggle-arrangement at opposite sides of rod 104i is in order to secure a bal I anced application of power to the said rod. 1 Only the parts at one side of the red are said.

shown in the present drawings. In the machine of the patent of October 30, 1917, to provide for the bending or stralghtening of the toggles as required for operating the plunger-rod and depressor and hold-down, the intermediate pivots 111 of thetoggles are connected'by links 114 to OPPOSltG sides of a nut mounted upon av screw having means for turning the same by power in either direction when required, at the will of the operator. In the illustrative embodiments of the present invention the invention is car- -r1edint0 effect by connecting the links 114 to pivots 115' at opposite sides of a piston a. or a working in a cylinder 7) or b. The said cylinder is suitably supported upon the upper part of the machine-frame.

' The piston a or a and cylinder Z) or Z/ pertain to the fluid-pressure-means afore- Suitable provision is made in practies for supplying to'the cylinder under the desired pressure the pressure-niediuin that is employed, and for controlling the action of such medium upon the piston. In the case of the double-acting-cylinder arrangement of Figs. 1, 3, and 4, the fluid-supply pipe 00, Figs. 3 and 1, is connected by branchesw, w, to the valve-casings c, c, at-

theopposite ends of the cylinder, each of the said valve 'casings communicating by suitable inlet and outlet ports with the iiit'eriorof the cylinder 6. The rotary valvemembers d, (l, withinthe said valve-casings are connected together bymeans of a linlre so that such valve-members turn in unison, and the turning of the sald valve-members by the operator is provided for by means of a. rod 126 which in practice is connected with a treadle- 127. Fig. 1, pivoted at 128. and

'erator, .or if desired the saidfrod may be connected with a suitable hand-lever.

The single-acting-cylinder arrangement of Figs. 2,5, and 6, has a single valve 0 at one end of the cylinder-b, with which valve the su iiply-pipe as is connectechthe rotary valve member d of the said valve being operatively connected with the, controllingrod 126. 1 r V In Figs. 1,. 3 and 4:, the fluid-pressure is utilized to depress the depressor and holddownand to holdit-down, and also to raise the same. In Figs. 2, 5 and 6 the fluidpressure is employed for the purpose of depressing and holding down the depressor and hold-down,-the raising of the latter being effected by means of contracting spiral springs (one at each side of the cylinder,) each connected at one end thereof with the connecting pivot 1110i the correspond ing toggle'dinks 110, 112, and at the other end connected to a pin it projecting from p the cylinder 6.

a From. what has been stated already here in, the principles of the invention,.the purposes thereof, and theflresults that are secured thereby, will be clearlyapparent.

-Preferablyan elastic pressure-medium,

which may be air, steam or gas, is employed.

The utilization and control of the elasticity of the said medium are important'factors of the invention. i

The invention enables hold-down to'be. actuated downward from its normal upwardly-retracted position, and .depressed at any required speed and with any required energy, but with resilient action, upon an insole that has been mounted upon the. bottom of a last. When a'resilient pressure-transmitting medium is employed, the resiliency secures the advantage that when the depressor and hold-down lands against the insole the resistance mayoperate to retard or arrest L'he movement of the depressor and hold-down, last, etc, without injury to the upper; In case of such retardation or arrest although. the pressure behind the pisthe pressure while such adjustments are be ing made, following'which the. infiow port or ports may be opened again to admit additional pressure'to eflect with any desired degree of force the further relative movement required for the lasting. It will be .per-' ceived that itlis possible to produce a; dwell .with any desired degree of pressure, or to conveniently located for the use of the opproduce an increase ofpressure, ort'o prothe depressor or duce a relaxation of the pressure when backing-off or relaxation is deemed to be desirable or necessary. In practice, in addition to forcing the last and shoe down within the nest or circle of the lasting devices, as mentioned, for the purpose of efiecting the preliminary wiping operation, the depressor and hold-down is caused to hold the last and shoe down while the final operations are being performed.

In case the convenient control is desired but without elasticity, water or oil may be utilized as the pressure-transmitting medium, instead of air, steam or gas.

The invention provides means responding readily to the operators control, and by which relative movement, and either the approach or the entry or the lasting action, may be caused to take place at any desired speed and with any desired force. The said means permits the speed and force to be varied at the will of the operator from moment to moment in such manner and to such extent as in the judgment oi the operator may be advisable or required, enabling him thereby to cause the approach to take place at first at a higher rate of speed and then later proceed more slowly. The employment of elastic fluid-pressure enables the relative approach to be caused'to take place with comparative quickness, but with yielding force so as to obviate danger or" injuring the material of the upper through the application of too great a strain or too much pressure. Resistance to the relative movement, operating with a tendency to retard or prevent such movement, is accompanied by an accumulated pressure, the relative movement proceeding at a decreased rate of speed but with increasing force as required in drawing the upper into place upon the last and causing it to conform to the same, without loss of the elastic action, however. The pressure is governed at will to provide for continuing the act'ion upon the upper, or for suspending it and holding the parts and the upper without change or relaxation of the pressure while adjustments or hand-operations are cficcted, and subsequently continuing the act'ion again, all as may be required in connection with the work of causing the upper to assume the desired position upon the last and conform thereto, and in adapting the action as may be found necessary to the character and strength or delicacy of the upper.

What is claimed as the invention is l 1. In a lastingmachino, the combination with lasting devices adapted by or through entry of the last with shoe thereon and relative movement between the last and the said devices to draw the upper of the shoe into place around the last, of a depressor, and fluid-pressure means for occasioning at the will of the operator the relative approach, entry, and resulting lasting operations under continuous control by the operator of the relative movement, its speed, its direction,

nd the intensity of the applied pressure.

2. In a lasting-machine, the combination with lasting devices adapted by or through entry of the last with shoe thereon and relative movement between the last and the said devices to draw the upper of the shoe into place around the last, of a depressor and holddown, toggle lever operating devices therefor, and fluid-pressure means for actuating said toggle-lever operating devices at the will of the operator to operate thereby the depressor and hold-down to produce the approach of the last with shoe thereon and entry of the same within the lasting devices and thereby efii'ect a lasting action under continuous control by the operator of the relative movement, its speed, its direction, and the intensity of the applied pressure.

3. In a lasting-machine, the combination with lasting devices adapted by or through entry of the last with shoe thereon and re1ative movement between the last and the said devices'to draw the upper of the shoe into place around the last, of a depressor, and elastic-fluid-pressure means for occasioning at the will of the operator the relative ap proach, entry, and resulting lasting operations, under continuous control by the operator of the relative movement, its speed, its direction, and the intensity of the applied pressure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' FRANK W. MERRICK. Witnesses:

EDLEN 0. SPRING, ELSIE AqBAnrsorr. 

